Can an undercover officer separate fact from fiction? “Hit Man” follows one man’s confusing journey into a world he thought he knew. The film comes from respected director Richard Linklater, whose previous works include “Boyhood” and ‘Before’ trilogy. He reflected on why the story’s central figure was such a fascinating draw. “This character, Gary Johnson, the undercover hitman, opened up such a fascinating world — these people who want to hire someone to kill someone,” the filmmaker told THR.” That’s about as extreme as it gets in the world, right? And yet, the facts on the ground in the real-life cases were so chillingly banal.”
Glen Powell gives an awards-worthy portrayal of the troubled officer. The “Anyone but You” and “Top Gun: Maverick” actor also collaborated with Linklater behind the scenes. The pair wrote the film’s screenplay from a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth. Their work paid off as the project has received almost unanimous acclaim since premiering at 2023’s Venice International Film Festival. Adria Arjona from “Andor” co-stars.
The film’s official synopsis:
Gary Johnson is the most sought-after professional killer in New Orleans. To his clients, he is like something out of a movie: the mysterious gun for hire. But if you pay him to rub out a cheating spouse or an abusive boss, you’d better watch your back —he works for the cops. When he breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband, he finds himself becoming one of his false personas, falling for the woman and flirting with turning into a criminal himself.
Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Molly Bernard, Evan Holtzman, and Gralen Bryant Banks also star in “Hit Man.” The film debuts on Netflix on June 7 in limited territories* with a limited theatrical release coming sometime before that. Get your first look at the trailer below.
*United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Iceland
